There's already a thread on Biggest Wastes of Talent, but it is fueled by an artist's or group's dysfunction - drugs, fighting, lifestyle; this thread is dedicated to those whose lives were cut short way before their time.

Jim Croce - died in a plane crash in 1974 (?) but had tremendous success with his album You Don't Mess Around With Jim in 1972, achieved #1 hits with Bad, Bad Leroy Brown while alive, and Time In A Bottle posthumously. He may have been as big as Elton John had he lived.

Badfinger - founding members Pete Ham and Tom Evans committed suicide. I know that they had a helping hand in their success by members of the Beatles - Paul McCartney wrote and produced their first hit, Come And Get It, and George Harrison had a hand in producing their top 10 hits No Matter What and Day After Day, but their genius was evident in their own composition, Without You. In 1974, Nelssen covered their tune and took it to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. One year later, Pete Ham took his life. In 1983, Tom Evans followed suit.

Terry Kath - founding guitarist of Chicago, and an extremely underrated talent. Died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.

I'd include John Denver in this list, but his career died in 1975 after his two-sided hit I'm Sorry/Calypso peaked at #1 and #2, respectively. His body died in 1998 in a plane crash, but it didn't really matter by that point.

EDIT: That sounded really cold. The death of John Denver - or any person - is a sad thing. My apologies.

Same thing with Karen Carpenter - she died in 1983, but the career of The Carpenters was over by 1975. Please Mr. Postman was their last top 10 hit.

Biggie Smalls - One of my favorite rappers and is a legend after only 2 cd released. Could have been much more.

2Pac/Makaveli

Cliff Burton

How about Ian Curtis of Joy Division who killed himself on the eve of their first American tour. They were on the verge of huge success. The band went on after his death to fom New Order.

Hendrix, dies in own vomet
Kurt Cobain suicide
Stevie Ray Vaughn plane crash
John Bonnahm (led zeppelin) drowned in pool

Jeff Buckley.
That guy coulda turned me gay just by the sound of his voice.
Not sure what that means, but I'll miss him.

I pulled this from a web site. I don't agree with all of them, I mean sure, John Denver died in a plane crash (ultra-light), but his career was over 25 years prior to it. Also, I would add Harry Chapin, who died in a car crash in 1981 (he was rear-ended by a semi-trailer), he was 38.

1953 - Hank Williams dies of a Heart Attack at age 29.
1959 - Buddy Holly dies of a plane crash at age 22.
1963 - Patsy Cline dies from a plane crash at age 30.
1965 - Nat King Cole dies of lung cancer at age 53.
1967 - John Coltrane dies from cancer at age 39.
1970 - Jimi Hendrix dies from inhalation of vomit at age 28.
1970 - Janis Joplin dies of a heroin overdose at age 27.
1971 - Duane Allman dies of a motorcycle accident at age 25.
1977 - Elvis Presley dies from a drug overdose at age 38.
1977 - Ronnie Van Zant of Lynard Skynard dies in a plane crash at age 32.
1980 - John Lennon is shot by a crazed fan at age 40.
1994 - Kurt Cobain shots himself in the head at age 27.
1996 - Tupac Shakur is killed in a drive-by-shooting at age 25.
1997 - Notorious BIG is killed in a drive-by-shooting at age 25.
1997 - John Denver dies in a plane crash at age 52.
1998 - Sonny Bono hits a tree while skiing and dies at age 63.

Randy Rhoads -- Plane crash, 1982 (age 25)

Shannon Hoon- lead singer of Blind Melon- Heroin overdose. Don't remember the year, mid 90's.

if we are talking of people at the apex of the career, I would go with

Buddy Holly.


Badfinger could have been so much more.

Layne Staley. He was a brilliant vocalist in an amazing band.

Also, Aaliyah & Left Eye's lives were cut way too short.

Wasn't it all over for Alice in Chains by the time of Staley's demise? Grunge was a bit long in the tooth by that point.

AIC was in no way grunge. They never even had a "grunge" sound to them.

Let us not forget the gifted Marvin Gaye, murdered by his father in a senseless tragedy. His music still inspires.

Actually, John Bonham drowned on his own vomit...

Those who touched me most musically are as follows

Stevie Ray Vaughan - so sad, having just recovered from serious drug addiction, only to die in a helicopter crash.

Jimi Hendrix - paved the way for guitar players everywhere

Cliff Burton - such energy and conviction, great vibe, great person

Layne Staley - AIC may have been "stalled" but that doesn't change how great of a singer he was, I think Alice could have one day been reborn. we will never know.

2Pac, amazing talent, I don't care what kind of music it was. he was great. the rap business is messed up, so much hatin' goin' on. too bad.

Kurt Cobain - wow, i don't think he is as talented as some people credit him, but his impact can't be denied, he defined a generation and i'm curious to see what he might be doing today.

Rick Nelson died in a plane crash in the late 1980's, but his career was already wrapped up in 1972 when Garden Party became his final top 10 hit.

Roy Orbison scored a top 10 hit in 1989 with You Got It, then promptly dropped dead.

It is needless to mention John Lennon, but I will because his death was really tragic. I can only sit here and imagine what great music he would have created for us throughout the '80's if he had lived - (Just Like) Starting Over, Woman, and Watching The Wheels were fantastic songs. Just as he was beginning to fall in love with rock and roll again, he gets shot to death by a crazed fan. He even scored a posthumous hit with Nobody Told Me in 1984.

If he had lived, I feel he would have outshined the rest of the Beatles, despite his slow start in the '70's. Remember: he retired in 1975, so there was five years of nothing until 1980. But then he was killed, so there you go.

Amen!

Heat, forgot Jim Morrisson also died at 27.

Anyone that questions Layne Staley's talent, hasn't listened to the Mad Season cd all the way through. Much more powerful than any AIC album.

2PAC/MAKAVELI the DON
KURT COBAIN
JIM MORISSON
LAYNE STALEY

It is needless to mention John Lennon, but I will because his death was really tragic. I can only sit here and imagine what great music he would have created for us throughout the '80's if he had lived - (Just Like) Starting Over, Woman, and Watching The Wheels were fantastic songs. Just as he was beginning to fall in love with rock and roll again, he gets shot to death by a crazed fan. He even scored a posthumous hit with Nobody Told Me in 1984.

If he had lived, I feel he would have outshined the rest of the Beatles, despite his slow start in the '70's. Remember: he retired in 1975, so there was five years of nothing until 1980. But then he was killed, so there you go.

No freaking way. I love the Beatles, but Lennon was way washed up. While I agree Woman and Starting Over were good hits, they paled in coparison to what McCartney was putting out, and Lennon's solo carrer was trash. Yoko was controling him, and I feel besides Imagine, his song writing days were well behind him. Hell, he stunk from the White Album to Abbey Road besides Come Together.

He was past his prime, and had he lived he would have been a nostaglia act.

I agree with many of the names already mentioned, although I am a little surprised by the harshness used to discount John Denver's career.

One name that has not been mentioned is Sam Cooke. Shot dead by a motel manager in bizarre circumstances when he was in his early thirties.

Honk!

Keith Moon